ANDunited states ordered this Wednesday the departure of non-essential personnel from its embassy in Niamey, the capital of Nigerin the midst of the coup attempt that the African country has been experiencing since last week.
In addition, he informed that the legation has suspended its routine services and only processes emergency assistance to US citizens in the country.
However, he warned that he has “limited capacity” to provide emergency services due to the “temporary reduction” of its staff, according to a new travel advisory posted on the embassy’s website, raising the level to 4 (“do not travel”), the highest.
“With the efforts to subvert the constitutional order there may be more protests that cause unrest and political instability,” the note wrote. Department of Statewho recalled that violent crimes are common.
Despite the situation, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller today refused to refer to the situation in Niger as a “coup”since it considers that it can be reversed with the return to power of the deposed president Mohamed Bazoum.
“We call it ‘attempt to seize power,’ which can still be reversed. We are trying to reverse it,” the spokesman said at his daily press conference.
One week after the coup led by a military junta in Niger, which has retained Bazoum ever since, the Nigerien coup leaders are holding two negotiations simultaneously: in their territory and in the Malian capital.
A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (Cedeao) today traveled from Nigeria to Niamey to negotiate with the Nigerien coup plotters, while a general from the Nigerien junta went to Bamako to meet with the military in power in Mali.
